Process and apparatus for increasing fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines



Aug. 15,1939. T. MARSHALL. .1R 2,169,844

PROCESS AND 'APPARATUS FOR INCREASING FUEL EFFICIENCY OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 19, 195e Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE K PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR. INCREAS- ING FUEL EFFICIENCY F INTERNAL COM- BUSTION EN GINESv Thomas Marshall, Jr., Chicago, Ill.

Application February 19, 1936, Serial No. 64,642 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-119) This invention relates to aprocess and appara- 5 with the intake manifold 6 of the engine so tus for obtaining a more complete explosion of that the hydrocarbon mixture containing air is the fuel in the cylinders of internal combustion conducted to the cylinders of the engine. engines and has for its object to provide a new I provide means for introducing into the cylt and improved process and apparatus of this deinders of the engine after the fuel charge is intro- 5 scription. The invention has as a further obduced, areadily ionizable gas which is in addition ject to provide a process and apparatus by means to the ordinary fuel mixture and which may be of which the efciency of the internal combustion introduced into the cylinders in any desiredmanengine will be greatly increased and a much ner. Common gases of this type, for example,

larger percentage of `the fuel mixture burn in would be argon, neon, krypton, xenon, helium, or

each cylinder. any other suitable gas which is readily ionizable.

It has been heretofore believed that the heat For purposes of illustration, I have shown a concontent of the ignition spark applied tothe fuel tainer 'l for containing this readily ionizable gas in the cylinders of internal combustion engines and Which is connected by a pipe 8 with the inl was the main cause of the combustion of the fuel. take manifold 6 of the engine, so that the pull 15 [in additional effective result is produced by cerof the engine that draws in the fuel will also tain components of the gas becoming ionized, draw in this gas and the gas will be thoroughly ionization playing an important role in they degree mixed with the fuel when in the cylinders. In of combustion of the fuel. I have found that order to occupy a reasonably small space so as to a much more complete combustion of the fuel last for a long period, I prefer to put the gas 20 in the cylinders may be secured by introducing in container 1 under a high pressure and I prointo the cylinders, in addition to the air and vide a pressure guage 9 so that the pressure may hydrocarbon compounds forming the fuel, a supbe always indicated and the operator may know ply of readily ionizable gas or gases, so that when when a new supply of gas is required. It takes' o5 the spark occurs this readily ionizable gas 0r only a small amount of gas in each cylinder and 25 gases being distributed throughout the fuel, are when the gas' is under high pressure I provide instantaneously ionized and a much greater prosome suitable means for throttling the admission portion o-f the fuel burned at each operation of of the gas to the cylinders to limit it to the small the spark, and it is a further object of the invenamount desired. Any suitable means: for this tion to provide a process and apparatus for carpurpose may be used. For the purposes of illus- 30 rying this into effect. tration I have indicated a throttling valve l0 in The invention has further objects which are the pipe 8 between the container 'l and the intake more particularly pointed out in the accompanymanifold 6. This throttling valve, see Fig. 2, ing description. may be of any suitable description and for the Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view purposes of illustration I have simply shown it as 35 sho-wing one form of device embodying the ina needle valve having the needle valve element Venton; Il cooperating with a conical shaped seat and Fig. 2 is a view of the throttling valve illuscontrolled by ahandle l2 and which can be moved trated in Fig. l for throttling the ionizable gas.; to reduce the admission of the gas to any desired 49 Like numerals refer to like parts throughout amount, depending upon the pressure in the con- 40 the several gures. tainer and the suction of the engine.

Referring now to the drawing, I have illus- In carrying out the process the proper readily trated an internal combustion engine embodying ionizable gas is placed in the container and the the apparatus and carrying out the process of throttle valve l0 regulated as desired to provide this invention. It is of course evident that the a suflicient amount of the readily ionizable gas 45 invention may be used in connection with any to be mixed with the fuel and drawn into the internal combustion engine, such as those now cylinders, and when the spark occurs ionization in use, including Diesel engines. In the conoccurs substantially throughout all the fuel in struction sho-wn there is illustrated an internal the cylinders of the engine and the fuel is burned combustion engine i having a plurality of cylininstead of being discharged through the exhaust 50 ders for the fuel, the cylinders being provided manifold I3, as is the case in the engine as now with the spark plugs 2, connected in circuit by used. By means of this invention, instead of the conductors 3. In this construction I have burning a comparatively small amount of the fuel, illustrated the ordinary internal combustion enin the neighborhood of 40%, as is now the case,

gine having the carburetor 4 connected by a pipe a much larger percentage of the fuel is actually 55 used and burned in the cylinders, in the neighborhood of 80% to 90% of the fuel, and hence there is a great saving of fuel and an increase in efficiency of the engine.

I have described in detail a particular process and apparatus for carrying out the invention, but it is of course evident that various other means may be utilized than those herein illustrated and I therefore do not limit myself in the claims hereto appended embodying the invention to the particular means illustrated and described. In certain of the claims, for example, I have used the gases helium and neon, but with the understanding that any equivalent gas used in the process will come Within the terms of such claims.

I claim:

1. The combination With an internal combustion engine having cylinders and ignition devices of means for introducing into the cylinders in addition to the fuel mixture of air and hydrocarbon compounds, readily ionizable gas krypton which mixes with the fuel in the cylinders and is ionized when the ignition occurs, whereby the amount of fue] burned in the cylinders is increased.

2. The combination With an internal combustion engine having cylinders and ignition devices of means for introducing into the cylinders in addition to the fuel mixture of air and hydrocarbon compounds, readily ionizable gas, such as helium, which mixes with the fuel in the cylinders and is ionized when the ignition occurs, whereby the amount of fuel burned in the cylinders is increased.

3. The combination with an internal combusgine having an ignition system and combustion L chambers, comprising means for introducing an inert ionizable gas free from carbon dioxide gas into the combustion chambers with the fuel mixture, said inert gas ionizing when ignition of the fuel mixture occurs, whereby the amount of fuel burned in the cylinders is increased.

THOMAS MARSHALL, JR. 

